Apr 4, 2019 2 min read

A Donora man is in custody over allegations he stopped his car in traffic along Interstate 70 Tuesday and then sped off, leading state police on a chase for more than two miles.

Police arrested Wade John Boyd, 52, after being called to investigate a report of a man slumped over the steering wheel of his car that was parked in the left lane of I-70 west near its Lover interchange, court records indicate.

It was about 8:30 a.m. when police had to drive along the highway’s berm to avoid a backlog of traffic that had formed behind Boyd’s car, according to charging papers.

When police arrived on scene, several other motorists had gotten out of their vehicles in efforts to help Boyd and his passenger.

Boyd is accused of speeding off faster that 60 mph and weaving across the road after he noticed the police. He continued to the Bentleyville interchange, where he stopped, according to court records.

Police said Boyd was “disheveled and disoriented” and said, “I’m talking to myself” while he was driven to the barracks.

His passenger, Todd Cochran, was taken into custody on arrest warrants, police said.

Boyd, of 1151 Marelda Ave., is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, driving with a suspended or revoked license, failure to stop for police and a string of traffic citations.

He was placed in Washington County jail on $35,000 bond set by District Judge Larry Hopkins.